I know a gal who is so obsessed with avocados that she has written a cookbook devoted to just avocados! She is Gaby Dalkin, author of "What's Gaby Cooking" and she just happens to be my goddaughter. "Absolutely Avocados" will show you many new and fun ways to use avocados. Her love of avocados really comes through in this book. It has certainly given me a new appreciation of what you can do with an avocado.
Gaby lives in L.A. now where she is a private chef, recipe developer and food blogger. She has even been a private chef for Jessica Simpson, who wrote a blurb for the book. Gaby grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she acquired her love of avocados. She is a guacamole nut and includes a few interesting new versions in her book, including an Asian inspired one that sounds really good - Spicy Sesame Guacamole. There are 75 recipes in the book and they run the gamut from breakfast to dessert and everything in between. She even has a recipe for Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies that swaps out the butter in the recipe for an avocado! How great is that? Gaby also explains the different kinds of avocados there are and how to buy and store them.
Do you know the easy way to prep an avocado? Hold the avocado in your hand and with a sharp knife, cut through the avocado to the pit, lengthwise, around the whole avocado. Twist the two halves - they come right apart. Then whack the knife right in to the pit and twist. It pops out. Take a spoon and scoop out the flesh.
It was hard to decide what to make out of the book because so many things looked good: there was a Balsamic Portobello Topped with Herbed Avocado Salad, Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Pasta, Hawaiian Pulled Pork and Avocado Sandwich that I'm sure my husband would love and then the Avocado and Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, which I almost made. But this Caesar Dressing won out and it is, no exaggeration, fantastic! I couldn't stop eating it. I thought maybe it was the best dressing I'd ever had. It is rich and creamy with a little zing in it. You can make it as thick or thin as you want by adjusting the olive oil. Don't limit yourself to using it just over salad, because it's too good. I think spreading it on a sandwich would be great, too.
Avocado Caesar Dressing
from "Absolutely Avocados" by Gaby Dalkin
for a printable recipe click here
makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients:
- 1 Hass avocado
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more in needed
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove the pit from the avocado and discard. Remove the avocado from the skin and place the avocado flesh in a food processor bowl.
Add the olive oil, Parmesan, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic cloves, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Adjust the salt and pepper if needed. (You can thin the dressing, if you need to, with more olive oil).
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
